HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 -01 JanHappy New Year!
One thing I love about a new year is the opportunity to reflect on past twelve
months and then commit to do better in the future. As I look back on the past
year one highlight was meeting so many of you, our wonderful residents, while
out walking our neighborhoods. Your commitment to do what is best for our
residents, parks, schools and community is very motivating. It is very clear to me
that we all love living in a City that offers such a high quality of life.
Many of us make resolutions this time of year to do better whether it to lose a few
pounds or to get to bed thirty minutes earlier. I am hoping to do both of those! I
also resolve to work very hard as your Mayor and to provide leadership with
civility and success.
Newly elected council member Marylee Abrams and I have been learning about
the inner workings of the City through our recent orientation session with the City
Manager and department head team and by observing the current council. We
met briefly with each department head to learn about their goals and budgets for
the coming year. I am learning the complexities of City finances while hearing City
staff leaders very thoughtfully articulate their priorities in police, fire, community
development, public works, finance, parks and recreation and other areas.
As elected leaders we must respect the day-to-day workings of our talented
city staff while driving a vision on the policy decisions to steer the City towards
prosperity. I will continue to support issues such as creating jobs and working to
vitalize the business community; strengthening safety services of police, fire and
emergency response from north to west to south; and preserving and protecting
our parks and open spaces.
I want to give a special thanks to Mayor Will Rossbach and Council Member
Rebecca Cave for their service to Maplewood. I have big shoes to follow in the
footsteps of Will and appreciate the time and effort he put into getting our City
back on track the past four years.
Finally, I thank you the voters for electing me to the office of Mayor of our great
City. I am honored and humbled by your confidence in me to lead the City
forward. I also want to extend my thanks to the election judges and City staff
for their hard work in conducting the election.
Share a joint resolution with me to continue the good work in the City of
Maplewood - together we can accomplish great things!
Living
City’s Official NEWSLETTER
In This Issue
3 2013 City Highlights
5 Honoring Veterans
5 2014 City Tax Levy
6 Childhood Resource Fair
6 MCC Welcomes A New
Banquet & Events
Coordinator
7 Business Highlights
Maplewood
January 2014By: Mayor, Nora Slawik
Mayor Nora Slawik
Frequently Called Numbers
City Hall 651.249.2000
Maplewood Community Center 651.249.2230
Recreation 651.249.2120
Public Works 651.249.2400
Police Non-Emergency 651.767.0640
Visit the city website at www.ci.maplewood.mn.us for the
meeting schedule of the City Council, Commissions and Boards.
To advertise in this newsletter call 952.212.7333 or email
heidi@careycommunications.org.
Elected Officials
Nora Slawik: Mayor .........................................................651.484.5427
nora.slawik@ci.maplewood.mn.us
Marylee Abrams: Councilmember ..............................651.249.2000
maryleeabrams@ci.maplewood.mn.us
Robert Cardinal: Councilmember ...............................651.765.8600
bob.cardinal@ci.maplewood.mn.us
Kathleen Juenemann: Councilmember .....................651.771.3670
kathleen.juenemann@ci.maplewood.mn.us
Marvin Koppen: Councilmember ............................... 651.770.5391
marvin.koppen@ci.maplewood.mn.us
Chuck Ahl: City Manager ...............................................651.249.2050
chuck.ahl@ci.maplewood.mn.us
MaplewoodLiving
2 / January 2014
This year, pledge to
DO GIVE BE
Still need a New Year’s resolution? Volunteer at
Second Harvest Heartland!
Help pack boxes of food for seniors or distribute
groceries directly to the most vulnerable people we
serve, children and their families.
Sign up for a volunteer shift today at
2harvest.org/volunteer or call 651.282.0901.
Bring this ad to your volunteer shift for an
Axel’s Bonfire giftcard!
1140 Gervais Ave.
Maplewood, MN 55109
Look for Recycling Carts Delivered to Your Home in March
Tennis Sanitation, LLC, the City’s recycling contractor, will be rolling out recycling carts for the City’s residential
recycling program. Each single family home and townhome and manufactured home with curbside recycling
will receive a recycling cart. There is no additional cost to residents for the carts – it is included as part of your
quarterly recycling fee charged to residents on their water bill. Detailed cart roll out information will be included
in the February newsletter. For up to date recycling announcements visit the City’s recycling webpage at
www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/recycling.
January 2014 / 3
Some big changes occurred during
2013; from a personal standpoint,
we wished our City Manager Jim
Antonen all the best and thanked him
for four years of service to Maplewood
when he retired in June 2013. The City
Council honored me by appointing me
to the position of City Manager to succeed Jim. Following
is a summary of progress that our team made during the
year of the City Council’s goals.
A Recap of 2013
In March 2012, the City Council and Department Heads
met for a one-day session to discuss and establish goals
for the City and operations for 2012 – 2014. A follow-up
retreat to this goal session was held in March 2013
reaffirming the goals for the remainder of 2013. The
Council will meet again in 2014 to review the goals and
modify them as projects and goals are complete.
Following are the goals and progress that has been
made to obtain them.
Goal 1 Public Safety – (Tied for first place with Economic
Development) Complete the plan for rebuilding and
relocating fire stations, from five to three, including
securing the 3M site. Develop and commit to a plan for
meeting the space needs of the police department.
Fire Chief Lukin states that the new fire station being built
on land donated on 3M property is well on its way with
the goal of having the station open and operational by
November 1, 2014.
Significant progress has been and continues to be made
to the public safety facility upgrades, enhancements, and
expansion. Police Chief Schnell adds that the fire and
police departments are completing plans for the South
Maplewood Police Substation which will be located in the
fire department facility on the 3M campus. Council and
staff are working diligently on this unique opportunity
that will better meet the needs of south Maplewood
residents and businesses.
Goal 1 Economic Development - (Tied for first place
with Public Safety) Make a concerted effort to define
and develop a plan that will ensure new economic
development in the city with a particular focus on
re-development. Commit to re-development (including
housing) for the City through prioritizing and updating
the Master Plan. Determine staffing needs for this effort
with adequate resources and working with the Business
and Economic Development Committee.
Assistant City Manager Melinda Coleman, hired in
August 2013, has been busy working on new
development opportunities in the Gladstone area. A
grant application appears likely from the Metropolitan
Council and a purchase agreement has been signed
for the Maplewood Bowl property where a developer is
proposing a $20+ million investment into the area with
additional investments to follow. The major economic
development focus of 2013 was working with Springsted
and Briggs-Morgan to develop the necessary Tax
Increment Financing package to retain 700+ jobs on
the 3M Campus that includes a new $150-million plus
research and development facility.
Coleman further reports that additional efforts for
economic development in 2014 will be to work with the
Business and Economic Development Commission
during the next 4-8 months on the sale of fire stations,
marketing additional City parcels, expansion of
development in Gladstone and a renewed focus on
the Rush Line Corridor Transit plan.
Goal 2 Financial Stability/Sustainability - Continue to
provide quality, efficient services to our citizens while
equalizing expenditures and revenues every year. Make
budgeting decisions that comport with the principals of
sustainability.
From the Desk of City Manager Ahl - 2013 Highlights
- continued on page 4
4 / January 2014
-Ahl Cont. from pg. 3
Finance Manager Gayle Bauman reports that City staff
made presentations to Council this past year regarding
a long range plan for Debt Management. The plan to
apply new LGA (Local Government Aid) funds to short
term initiatives or specific projects and not use it for
operations demonstrates the City’s efforts toward
maintaining stability/sustainability. Based on recent history,
reliance on the State LGA funds for operational support
does not speak to sustainability. Staff is also working to
put together an Infrastructure Replacement Policy to
facilitate the financial planning necessary to accommodate
the timely replacement of assets. The Council and
Department Heads are updated monthly on the status
of the City’s General Fund, which is the main operating
fund for the City. Having up-to-date information
available assists greatly with the decision making process.
The City’s General Fund balance is being maintained at
40% of general fund revenues, which is well within the
guidelines provided by the State Auditor and helps the
City maintain its high bond rating. This effort allowed the
City to proceed into 2014 with a 0% tax levy increase!
Goal 3 Parks and Recreation - Continue to determine
how to resolve the Community Center’s funding and
programming issues. Explore a possible joint venture with
neighboring communities and a referendum on a
sustainable Parks system. Develop a comprehensive plan
about our parks.
Parks and Recreation Director Dewey Konewko reports
that MCC staff is working diligently to implement a five
to seven year sustainable budget plan with the goal of
eliminating the negative cash balance in the Community
Center Operations Fund. Staff continues to look at
opportunities to reduce expenditures as well as increasing
revenue streams at the MCC.
The Park System Task Force was created to assist staff in
the development of a comprehensive Master Plan for the
City’s parks, trails, and open spaces. The Park System Task
Force works very closely with the Park Commission and
ultimately the City Council. One of the outcomes of the
Park Master Plan is to identify options for future funding,
which may include a city-wide referendum for improve-
ments/enhancements to Maplewood’s parks, trails, and
open spaces.
Goal 4 Consolidation of Services/Shared Services - All
departments will work collaboratively with other cities in
an effort to provide more cost-effective services where
possible. Consolidate or share city services where it makes
sense from a sustainability standpoint.
City staff works diligently with multiple jurisdictions to
consolidate and share services. A list of over two dozen of
these efforts can be found on the city website.
Communication – During the retreat, communication
was an underlying theme that related back to the council
priorities and goals. In July 2013, I appointed Director of
Citizen Services Karen Guilfoile as Director of
Communications to assist with this council directive.
Guilfoile stated, “With increased efforts in communication
we have begun to take a different approach in writing
articles for the City Newsletter so that we not only inform
the public, but we also tell the story of what it takes to get
things done in the city. In May of this year, we
introduced “Business Highlights” in the City Newsletter
interviewing owner/managers writing articles with
accompanying pictures giving our businesses an opportunity
to tell their story. This has been met with great success.
We have utilized our opportunities at GTN in a broader
way by inviting GTN staff to record different events so that
we can incorporate visuals in our monthly broadcasts so
that residents can be aware of them. In addition, we are
working with GTN staff to record on-site happenings that
will be incorporated into a new “newsy” type of program
that will be incorporated into 30 – 60 second clips that will
be posted on the website to keep our residents informed.
2013 was a remarkable year of accomplishment for the city.
We were recognized by numerous organizations for our
efforts in various areas. A few of the awards follow:
• Step Three Green Step Cities Award in June by the MPCA
and League of Minnesota Cities
• National Sustainability Practices Award by the American
Public Works Association
• Innovation in Government Award for our Living Streets
Project by the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
• Award from 10,000 Lake Chapter ICC
• Distinguished Budget Presentation Award (2013 Budget)
• National Sustainability Practices Award (from the
American Public Works Association)
• Innovation in Governmental Award for the Bartelmy-
Meyer Neighborhood Living Streets Project (from
Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District)
• Maplewood EMS for Participation in the Immediate Trial
EMS Study Regions Hospital
As we move forward in 2014, city staff will work closely
and diligently with our elected officials to carry forth their
goals for our community. We also, wish you our citizens, a
healthy and prosperous year!
January 2014 / 5
Maplewood Honors
Over the last year the city council and city staff have made efforts to honor
those who have or are currently serving in the military. As a City, we support
Beyond the Yellow Ribbon which is a community of volunteers who are
devoted to honoring and supporting service members and their families.
To further show our support we have attempted to recognize our veterans
at council meetings and write feature articles for the Maplewood Monthly
highlighting those who have given so much.
Recently I had the opportunity to spend a bit of time with individuals who
served in the 1950’s and 1960’s in an environment that they are comfortable
in; an American Legion Post located in the middle of California’s desert. They
are a community; a family that has bound together to support each other, to
have a place to congregate, to share meals and for some a place to go where
others understand that, while their years of service were over decades ago,
they are still soldiers.
I recall one gentleman, weathered face and hunched shoulders telling me a story about digging a foxhole
(a shallow pit dug by a soldier in combat for immediate refuge against enemy fire) as he and his fellow soldiers
could hear enemy fire approaching. He was 19 years old at the time. It was apparent to me that whatever time
has passed since his military service, time has not erased the pain of his experience.
Recently I approached someone that served in Vietnam and asked if he would share his story. His response
brought me to tears and helped me to understand the reluctance that some have in sharing, and ultimately
reliving their experience.
If this effort to highlight our military in the Maplewood Living monthly does not achieve what we had hoped,
we will continue to encourage our community to be cognizant of the sacrifices made by those who served and
those who remained at home.
For them we are grateful.
Veterans
“The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has
earned them our lasting gratitude.” —Jeff Miller
Karen Guilfoile, Citizen Services/
Communications Director
No Increase in the City’s Total Property Tax Levy for 2014
On Monday, December 9, 2013, the city council approved
the 2014 Budget for the City of Maplewood and also
resolved to set the 2014 tax levy payable at the same
amount as the 2013 levy – no increase!
State law requires cities to certify a proposed property
tax levy to the county auditor by September 15th each
year. On September 9, 2013, the City Council approved a
maximum increase of 2% over the 2013 levy amount for
2014, or a $370,570 increase. A workshop on the budget
was held in October where staff provided information
on many items including legislative actions, debt service,
General Fund activity, and capital project options.
Based on information reviewed at this workshop, staff
recommended a 0% levy increase for 2014, which
Council approved in December. Information received
from Ramsey County in November shows that over 43%
of residential properties within the City of Maplewood
should see a decrease in their total 2014 property tax bill.
The effect of the 2014 City levy on a median value home
in Maplewood is as follows:
Home market values do not increase or decrease by the
same percentage for all properties.
Estimated Impact of 2014 City Levy on Median Value Home
PAY 2013 2014-2018 % Change $ Change
Median Value Home $160,700 $157,000 -2.30%
Homestead Mkt Value Excl. ($22,800) ($23,100) 1.32%
Taxable Market Value $137,900 $133,900 -2.90%
Tax Capacity $1,379 $1,339 -2.90%
City Tax Rate 48.659% 48.308% -0.72%
Market Value Tax Rate 0.02227% 0.01963% -11.85%
CITY TAX $706.79 $677.67 -4.12% ($29.12)
- continued on back page
Early Childhood Resource Fair Sasha Meyer Joins MCC As the New Banquet and Events CoordinatorFREE Fun For The Whole Family!
Saturday, January 25, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Maplewood Community Center
2100 White Bear Ave.
Come learn about resources available for you and your
family at Maplewood Community Center’s Early Child-
hood Resource Fair. Over 30 community organizations
will be providing information and access to a variety of
services for young children in the Twin Cities area. Learn
about the latest educational tools and local resources
designed to help your child reach their full potential. Visit
with a wide variety of educational institutions and learn
how one program differs from another.
While parents are learning about area education offerings
children can enjoy free face painting, crafts, and other
activities. Don’t miss live entertainment from the Teddy
Bear Band – consistently recognized as the “best
children’s music artist” without exception. Bring your
teddy bear along and get in on the fun. For more
details visit www.maplewoodommunitycenter.com
or call 651.249.2103.
Sasha is a 2004 graduate of
Southwest State University with
a Bachelors Degree in Speech
Communications. She most
recently worked at Treasure
Island Resort and Casino as the
Entertainment and Promotions
Manager. While at Treasure
Island she worked with a variety
of national entertainers such as Bill Cosby, Randy Travis,
and the band Chicago.
Sasha oversees the MCC banquet facilities, Maplewood
Performing Arts Theatre, and the MCC Childcare. As a
recent bride herself, Sasha is excited to help newly engaged
couples experience a memorable day at the Maplewood
Community Center. She helps reduce the stress of plan-
ning and organizing any special event from a corporate
conference to a wedding reception to a company holiday
party. She can assist with planning any event you can
dream up. To plan your event at MCC, contact Sasha at
(651) 249-2103 or sasha.meyer@ci.maplewood.mn.us.
6 / January 2014
MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL
PURCHASE OR RENEW YOUR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP
AND GET ONE MONTH FREE + 50.00 IN MCC BUCKS$
DON'T DELAY - OFFER VALID DEC. 15 - JAN. 31 ONLY
USE MCC BUCKS FOR PERSONAL TRAINING, FITNESS PROGRAMS & MORE
LET THE MAPLEWOOD COMMUNITY CENTER HELP YOU TRANSFORM
Your Body. Your Mind. Your Life.
2100 WHITE BEAR AVENUE • MAPLEWOOD, MN 55109
WWW.MAPLEWOODCOMMUNITYCENTER.COM • 651.249.2230
Community Development- continued from page 6Business HigHligHtsMaplewood
The following articles highlight businesses licensed with the City. If you are interested in having your business
highlighted contact Karen Guilfoile at 651.249.2002 or email karen.guilfoile@ci.maplewood.mn.us.
Revolutionizing Urban Farming
Dave Roeser discovered
a new business oppor-
tunity and a use for his
vacant 20,000 square foot
Maplewood warehouse
in 2010. Roeser partnered
with his wife, DJ, and his
biologist son Bryan to
start Garden Fresh Farms
- an eco-focused urban
farming and aquaponics
business.
Their goal was to grow greener and faster produce
indoors. They grow a bounty of crops year-round and get
rid of the environmental and financial costs of trucking in
fresh food from other areas.
They also incorporate fish into their growing cycle. Their
team designed and patented equipment that grows herbs
and vegetables without natural light, pesticides, herbicides,
or extra fertilizer. Wastewater from the rainbow trout and
tilapia contain nitrogen and when mixed with bacteria, it
becomes fertilizer for the plants.
Using Garden Fresh Farm’s process, there is continual
harvest of 1,100 lettuce plants and 40 pounds of basil per
day, five days a week. The system uses
about 95 percent less water than a
traditional farm and far less energy
than a greenhouse because of the
efficient lighting system, says Roeser.
This is definitely not your traditional
Minnesota farm. Lettuce grows
vertically on the walls and basil grows
in large cylinders that rotate around
light. In one year, Garden Fresh Farms grows a whopping
538,000 plants and can raise 60,000 fish! It sells its
product to restaurants and CSA customers.
Garden Fresh Farms has won multiple awards including:
Sept 2013 - Minnesota Cup Clean Tech Water & Energy
divisional winner, Oct. 2013 - Midwest Regional CleanTech
Open Sustainability Award winner, Nov. 2013 - CleanTech
Open Global Forum, National Sustainability winner.
Roeser plans to expand Garden Fresh Farms. For consumers
this signifies high-quality produce, grown locally. They
are all about environmental conservationism. The entire
process will always be recycle, reuse, and reduce.
Call (612) 886-6631 or visit the website
to learn more.
www.GardenFreshFarms.com
Maplewood Mall Gets A Face-lift and New Retail Stores
Maplewood Mall welcomes millions of visitors every year
and is a staple of the community. It’s anchored by J.C.
Penny, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Sears, and Barnes & Noble with
over 130 other specialty stores. One of the main goals
for the renovation of Maplewood Mall was to create an
upbeat and inviting atmosphere to attract shoppers and
make the mall a destination.
The updates to the mall have been mostly cosmetic and
were complete April 2012. The mall now has a remodeled
food court, five redesigned main entrances, new flooring
energy-efficient lighting, and carpeted soft seating areas throughout the common
area. The Ramsey-Metro Watershed District designed and installed rain gardens,
tree trenches, and a cistern at the mall in an effort to eliminate run-off. The
Children’s Play Area has also been updated with new soft pathway design carpeting
and fun activities for children.
Maplewood Mall has added new retailers including: Shoe Dept. Encore, Body Central,
rue21, H & M, and Wireless Toy Box, with even more exciting retailers coming in
2014! Customers can follow the mall on Facebook and Twitter for new retailer
announcements. Call (651) 770-3863 or visit the website to learn more.
www.simon.com/mall/maplewood-mall January 2014 / 7
Dave Roeser, owner of
Garden Fresh Farms
City of Maplewood
1830 County Road B East
Maplewood, MN 55109
Phone: 651.249.2000
www.ci.maplewood.mn.us
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Bill pay free with estatements.
-Tax Levy Cont. from pg. 5
Therefore, the estimated city tax amount may be higher for some,
particularly if there have been improvements that add value. Similarly, a
larger decrease in value could cause a larger decrease in taxes.
Providing a Good Value
Under the proposed city budget, the median value homeowner receives
police and fire protection; snow plowing and street maintenance; park
development and maintenance; recreational programs and facilities; and
many other services for about $56.47 per month.
Summary
The adopted levy (no increase over 2013) will provide sufficient resources
for the continuation of city services in 2014. General Fund expenditures
are set to increase by 1.4% with the property tax levy being the main
source of revenue for the General Fund. More information about the 2014
city budget is available on the City website at www.ci.maplewood.mn.us.
Comments on the City budget or levy can be sent to gayle.bauman@
ci.maplewood.mn.us or chuck.ahl@ci.maplewood.mn.us.
Breakdown of the Monthly
Levy by Department:
Citizen Services $2.45
Community Development 2.86
Executive 1.82
Finance 1.57
Fire 5.24
Building Maintenance 1.15
Legislative 0.31
Parks & Recreation 3.56
Police 16.92
Public Works 6.39
Debt Service (applies to 14.20
multiple depts.)